Top McCann execs switch GM duties

Two top executives on General Motors Corp.'s global account at McCann-Erickson Worldwide have shifted duties, with Gunnar Wilmot concentrating on the U.S. and Sean Fitzpatrick, international.

Mr. Wilmot, a McCann exec VP, moved from the agency's Frankfurt office in January to run its Troy, Mich., operation. He now relinquishes his GM account responsibilities outside the U.S.

Mr. Fitzpatrick, exec VP-vice chairman and worldwide GM account director, gives up his duties on GM's U.S. account. In addition to his account director duties, Mr. Fitzpatrick will have unspecified creative duties on the account outside the U.S., Mr. Wilmot said.

"There was some ambiguity about Sean's and my roles. We had overlapping jobs," Mr. Wilmot said. "Now there's zero overlap."

OTHER TOP-LEVEL CHANGES

Mr. Wilmot made other top-level changes, which Detroit ad executives speculated were a move to relieve problems on GM's Buick and GMC accounts as the carmaker's brand management structure evolves. The Troy office of D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, which handles GM's Cadillac and Pontiac divisions, has also made top staff changes for similar reasons.

At McCann, Exec VP Dick Hill moves from general manager of the Troy office to the new post of director of professional development, heading staff training.

Gene Hunt joins the office Aug. 18 as senior VP-group account director on the $69 million GMC account. Mr. Hunt comes from Ogilvy & Mather, Detroit, where he was a senior VP. He succeeds George Bak, whose new role at McCann is undetermined.

Joseph Caponigro joined McCann last week as exec VP-executive media director, from BBDO Worldwide, Detroit, where he was senior VP-media services director on Dodge's regional dealer group accounts. He succeeds Bill Behrmann, who left the agency to pursue other interests.